


Stealing You Away

by onestepatatime



Series: Hobbit/Jupiter Ascending Crossover [2]
Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Jupiter Ascending Crossover AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-07-17 14:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16097603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onestepatatime/pseuds/onestepatatime
Summary: Thorin's Company steals Caine Wise and Bilbo Baggins has to get them out of trouble once again.Set a year after Bilbo's 21st birthday, he is busy preparing to inherit an as yet unnamed title. Dragged by Adalgrim to Mythos for the Abrasax Recurrence's reveal to the Eastern Alliance, nothing goes as planned. Now he has an Abrasax warship in a standoff over his humble home. Let the Thain deal with that. Bilbo has enough problems with a broken, and hopefully not broken-hearted lycantant, a rebellious young bee splice who shouldn't even be there, and lunar storms.Jupiter Jones is saved from an explosion by her closest Skyjacker's sacrifice. The problem is, where is he? Can she find him, much less accept the new challenges in his future?Stinger Apini is riddled with guilt. He is also driven to distraction by genetic coding to serve his Queen. As he ends up stuck on Janus, can he make sense of this mess?7/3/19 - Revised chapters are being posted individually as this month progresses. An expanded Ch 2 is posted.





	1. Jupiter - The Immediate Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Legal Disclaimer: All trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective owners. I make no profit from this story.
> 
> This story is influenced by and in the Jupiter Ascending universe. I really like that movie, but I only write Hobbit. Then Bilbo decided to meet J/A as they made their cameos. Enjoy an installment in this series that is designed as the "crossover" on my writer's repertoire list.

How could such a simple and elegant plan go so wrong so fast? In hindsight, Jupiter couldn’t believe that she had been assured that nothing could go wrong. Kerini 7, informally known as ‘Mythos', was one of her most secure worlds. It was literally a world-sized “playground” where her predecessor had created, bred, and kept mythological creatures from a wide variety of cultures. Today she had been meant to be introduced to the world’s small, yet eager, population of handlers by being an honorary official at the first centaur polo match of the season. She had gone out of morbid fascination more than anything else. Even Stinger Apini, who had traversed more galaxies than he could count, had never seen a unicorn, much less a centaur. Now Stinger, still in his jet-black formal Skyjacker uniform, came into the salon that she had been dumped in at her alcazar.

“Majesty.” Stinger’s wings were held out, but not high, nor with pride. The gleam from the bronze and gold feathers that complimented and highlighted the gold braid on his uniform seemed to mock her. When he stuck to formal protocol and bent on one knee, she didn’t chastise him; she didn’t have the energy. His whole demeanor meant terrible news. Perhaps falling into a familiar role was helping the captain of her Skyjackers to deal with bad news related to not just his friend, but a subordinate under his command and protection.

“Yes?” Jupiter wished that Kiza were here to hold hands with her, but Stinger’s ever-practical daughter had gone to see about getting them some dinner, and to get her clothes from her ship. They would be staying for an indefinite period, and Jupiter would not be comfortable, much less happy, in only having a dead queen’s clothes to wear.

“You should not have your guards outside the door.” The father in Stinger couldn’t help coming out, or he was stalling.

O“I couldn’t stand the sight of them, not right now.” Inside, Jupiter wanted to let Stinger brooch the subject, but she was a queen and would act like it, especially when it pertained to Caine. “Is your news that bad, Stinger?”

Right after Jupiter had been dumped into the salon this morning, Stinger had come back with the news that there was no trace of Caine. Everyone had seen him fall from the sky, but there had been no trace of him. Jupiter had spent hours crying, torn between wanting to rush out and search herself and wishing that her space mascara would run. At least that would show her grief more than her still perfect makeup did. Kiza had removed all of the rooms numerous mirrors after she threw a…something…art deco, maybe? sculpture and smashed one.

Staring at Stinger’s mournfully bent head as he kept his kneeling position, Jupiter suddenly felt thankful for her still perfect hair, and well, everything. Shoes off didn’t count, of course. Most splices towered over her anyway. Ruined mascara would make Stinger having to face her even more gut-wrenching. She sat straighter and tried for an authoritative tone. Perhaps Stinger needed just that, a strong leader.

“Tell me, Captain Apini, what have you found?” He had stormed out of there three hours before, swearing that he would tear this world apart to find clues as to what in the galaxy had happened. No one just disappeared, no one. That outrage fueled anger was gone, telling her that there was news, news that she as a queen would take with grace and deal with as such.

"Several of your Entitled "guests" had smuggled in video drones, despite your order." Stinger grimaced as he looked up. Jupiter had decided that Seraphi's standing order for no unauthorized video on this world, to keep uninvited Entitled envious, would remain until she spoke to this world's actual inhabitants and gauged their view of the policy. "Most wanted to be seen on the gossip blogs at the premiere event of this year. Others had been bribed to provide footage of the polo steeds to help give a certain casino district an edge in…"

“Stop. Just stop.” Jupiter really wanted a mirror right now, or a plate to throw, but she just now saw Kiza, with a tray of food, being guided back out the door. “Play the video.”

“Most cameras were trained on their owners. Two caught a rather unfocused shot of a winged being falling from the sky.” Stinger continued as if he had memorized his speech.

“We know that Caine fell! The blasted gravity beam shorted out.” Jupiter had screamed for Caine even when she had been caught by the patrolling Skyjackers as she was lowered to the ground from her ship. Caine was meant to be in the gravity beam by her side, but he had stiffened just before. Jupiter had been pushed out of the ship’s portal. That was just before an explosion on the vessel had flung him past her through the air.

"Show me the video." Jupiter couldn't believe that she was lowered to watching the bootleg footage, but the explosion had somehow blanked her "official" recording device, and all of the video feeds from the portal room. She would also never forget the sight of her entire Royal Guard kneeling with limp wings as Lt. Boltz mournfully presented her with a handful of wing feathers. He had tried to grab the lycantant, but a fellow Skyjacker maneuvering to keep Jupiter safe had sent a boot to Boltz’s head.

“It is loaded, Majesty.” Stinger didn’t look up. Jupiter turned to watch a holographic vase on the side table become a small projection of what was clearly meant to be a news feed.

“This is simply amazing. We are…What was that?” Lady Malone from a who cares what House had turned away from facing her camera after the explosion just in time for it to catch a familiar blue blur streaking away from the ship.

“Caine tried to use his gravity boots to stabilize himself long enough to gain altitude. We assume that at least one boot was damaged.” Stinger paused for a moment as Jupiter gasped upon seeing the blue light fade and the blur of bronze wings wrapped around a black image fall. He said nothing as a second video showed an even worse blur; Lady Blair’s entourage had been so immersed in gossip that they had not yet realized that their video had caught something.

“Why didn’t Caine open his wings to glide down?” Jupiter had watched Caine glide with his boots off countless times, mesmerized by his daring as much as by his ability. He loved to show off for her, his gentle smile a reward in and of itself.

“Head injury involving the cybernetic connection, a broken shoulder.” Stinger mused as he finally looked up. There was a sad acceptance as well as dark memories. He had seen all of that and more countless times. “The gravity boots are our safety net, Majesty, and they failed Caine.”

“Is that it?” Jupiter didn’t feel like that strong queen now; she wanted to scream.

“The second video was nearly impossible to get, and I had hopes that Lady Blair’s hesitation would prove to be hiding something useful.” Now Stinger finally broke from his role as captain, and a friend took Jupiter’s hand in his. “Then we got a lead a short time ago.” He took her nod as an ascent to continue.

"House Took is a minor Western Alliance House that House Blasington brought as their 'plus one', as you might put it. They are a xenophobic, almost paranoid, clan that takes self-preservation very seriously. Adalgrim Took, a lesser House Took lord, didn't smuggle in a camera, but his head of security does have an illegal video feed addition to his communication implant."

“You discovered this, or he volunteered this information?” Jupiter steeled herself for the bad news as she stared at her sigil embroidered in a repeating pattern around the hem of her captain's sleeve cuff in gold thread. How she and her ladies had made such a fuss when her Royal Guard modeled her new uniform designs. Caine would never allow anyone but Jupiter to help him take his uniform off. She had found it adorable when he always insisted on neatly hanging up his uniform each evening, even if it was going straight to the cleaners.

“It took some time for your guests to finally realize that they would be stuck at the polo field until we found something. House Took admitted that Lt. Adler might have seen something, but they had not yet accessed the feed and could not be certain. Lord Adalgrim refused to part with the download until he had a sheave with diplomatic immunity for his entire retinue in hand.” Stinger hid his cringe at Jupiter’s expected outrage.

“You had no right to decide that without informing me first.” Jupiter wanted to explode, to direct her anger, fear, worry at someone or something. If this were anyone but Stinger, she would have made them sorely regret overriding her authority.

“No one just vanishes, Majesty.” Stinger now stood. “If foul play is involved, Caine’s life may hang in the balance of fresh leads.”

Over his lifetime, Stinger had learned that time was of the essence in any disappearance case. He had not hesitated in making agreements that a distraught Jupiter may have only delayed or even refused. As a queen and owner of this world, Jupiter could hold House Took, but she could not stop them from destroying any evidence that might implicate them in this mess. The Western Alliance was made up of several fiercely independent minor Houses, and Stinger had reluctantly taken what was offered for the sake of expediency.

“Resume video.” Jupiter’s voice was steel. This new video lacked a professional camera angle. There was no sound, and it showed the quick jerking motions of a head in constant motion, apparently looking for threats to the lord of the head’s owner. She watched as her skiff began to descend, just to become partially obscured by the black, billowing smoke of an explosion. A choked sob escaped when the view froze as Lt. Adler focused on the spectacle. Silence followed as the falling Skyjacker headed straight for the House Took tent situated a short distance back from the main throng of Entitled tents.

“Oh, my…” Jupiter held a scream in with hands crushed to her lips as the view focused on a somewhat blurry, but distinctly human body as it crashed to the ground approximately 100 yards behind the tent. It bounced and rolled a distance, one massive wing bent backward in the middle as it covered the crumpled form.

“Caine.” The scream came out as a whisper when Caine’s distinct blend of blonde hair came into focus, contrasting with his black uniform. He grimaced in pain when he tried and failed to turn over, obviously injured. The video view jerked around as Lt. Adler began to run towards her Skyjacker. This made Jupiter’s already empty stomach queasy from motion sickness. She forced herself to breathe in and out through her nose like the one time that Vladie had convinced her to get on a roller coaster. The image steadied in time for Caine to snarl at someone unseen. There was a glint of blue iridescence before the sunlight blocked further images for a moment. Then, Adler looked around, but there was no trace of a body, no Caine Wise. There was just one lone bronze feather lying on the crushed grass. The video ended with the vase reappearing.

“Lt. Adler was struck on the head, stopping the video stream. He didn’t lose consciousness, but by the time his squad caught up to him, they found no sign of a body. The explosion on the ship may have been sabotage, and when it didn’t have its intended effect, the culprits kidnapped Caine.” Stinger now could not help but sit, the news was overwhelming once it actually sank in.

"What have we done so far?" The fact that Caine had been kidnapped was horrible, but the sight of his broken body brought this to a whole new level of a living nightmare. Those hired to orchestrate an assassination plot against Jupiter would hardly be able or even willing to help an injured captive. Assassins turned kidnappers would not hesitate to flaunt Caine’s injuries when demanding a ransom. They would make Caine suffer if it ensured her cooperation.

“The Aegis is still investigating the portal room explosion. Captain Tsing believes that it was an accident that someone took advantage of.” Stinger did not sound at all convinced of such a thing, though the results were the same. Many of her Entitled guests would not dare to try to harm her personally, but few would hesitate to kidnap her Achille's Heel.

"I see.” Jupiter brought up several images from the video. “I assume that you checked every inch of every ship in orbit before allowing any to leave.” Jupiter would not have allowed any to leave, but it was clear that Stinger had taken such matters into his own hands. This Lord Adalgrim Took might have been granted immunity, but she would have searched his ship a second time, without hesitating to tear it apart in the process.

“Thoroughly, Majesty.” Stinger now wore a determined expression as he joined her in scrutinizing an image or two. “The Aegis had two other cruisers parked in orbit around this planet’s moon. No ships have gotten past them without a search.”

“What is this?” Jupiter enlarged one image of shimmering blue. It seemed familiar, but she could not place her finger on a memory.

“Sun glare.” Stinger took a copy of the image and sat back down. After a few minutes of adding different filters, he had a far different picture. He grinned as he showed his queen the blurred close-up of barbs belonging to several iridescent feathers.

“Who has bird splices?" Jupiter wanted to whoop in victory, and claim her consort. The tone in Stinger's voice brought her success to a quick end.

“Majesty, kinnatants are a popular entourage splice. Cygnus family splices such as swans are also popular. I can hazard a guess that the feathers were black or dark brown, but not for certain. These are also popular colors. This is not enough evidence, for anyone could have had a molting splice whose feathers got a ride on a breeze at the wrong time.” Stinger rubbed his chest as the pain that he had begun to associate with failing his queen began to ache yet again.

“What do we know about this Adalgrim Took?” Jupiter did not notice her captain's discomfort as she began to look up information on House Took. She muffled a curse as a search for any feathered splice breeds listed in his, or a Lord Clen's retinue, came back negative. It appeared that Western Alliance minor Houses were not part of the kinnatant trend, nor did they have any type of splice in their personal guard units. Just then, Kiza came in, eyes full of tears as she fled to her dad.

“This Took lord has very few ties to his family’s rather limited dependency on Regene products; their brand specializes in medical applications. Rather outgoing and a true entrepreneur, he would outwardly have nothing to gain, Majesty. Despite his immunity request, Took did let the Aegis look over his entire entourage and his ship.” Stinger managed as Kiza hid her face in his shoulder as she cried.

“How considerate.” Jupiter glared at Stinger angrily at being reminded of his flaunting her authority.

“Like all of the other Entitled, we couldn’t keep him once his party and ship were investigated. He did volunteer the information about the video feed, though he didn’t yet know what was on it.” Stinger knew that it would be some time before such anger cooled, and he did not blame his queen one bit.

“The video stays secret for now. Does Lord Adalgrim know what’s on it?” Kiza's soft sobs seemed to set off Jupiter's temper once more. 

“No, Majesty. I had a little ‘discussion’ with Lt. Adler about keeping his mouth shut. No one knows the identity of the fallen Skyjacker.” Stinger’s chest now was on fire with a father’s failure.

“Caine is hurt. Caine has been taken.” Jupiter felt herself crumple into the Apini huddle as the pain on Stinger’s face finally melted her queenly resolve. Many Entitled would kill her consort just for his unacceptable position by her side, or worse, keep him as their own pet while they bargained with the likes of Titus to purchase him.

“We’ll get him back, Majesty.” Stinger buzzed angrily as a guard looked into the room, sending the Skyjacker back out with a jerk of his head. Whoever had beat him to informing Kiza about Caine would feel his wrath later. He kissed the heads of his daughter and queen in turn. "We'll find him soon."


	2. Bilbo - Leaving Mythos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin has a little surprise for Bilbo that he literally picked up while his lord was arguing with Gloin over an appropriate toy for Gimli. Bilbo wonders why his cabin is still intact after three rather destructive trinomes are, supposedly, stuck in it for hours.

"Bilbo, where are your troublemakers?" When the third of the three Aegis cruisers moved away, Adalgrim was glad to see the last of them and that berserk Abrasax captain. The man had literally slammed Addy’s head into a wall after seeing the video that the Took lord had so graciously offered.

What was that for? He had no more information to offer, and his ship would be searched anyway. Angered and offended, Adalgrim was not about to mention that maybe Bilbo, his unorthodox, but vigilant, trinomes, or his obsessive fox quintet may have seen something. Let mighty House Abrasax find its missing guard, or whoever that it had so carelessly lost, on its own.

After such ungrateful and brutish treatment, Adalgrim wanted nothing more than to have his yacht set a portal to leave this world. His so carefully constructed plan was in ruins anyway. He should never have trusted in anything regarding a Recurrence to go as planned. If an Entitled couldn't get things right in their first ‘natural’ or second ‘recode’ life, then they definitely wouldn't in any successive natural life. This view would be considered heresy by some, but Adalgrim was a practical man. He preferred reading a business ledger sheave over a religious text any day. They were all written by people who could not remember how many recodes they had done, much less their actual age.

"Hm…What? Can we leave now?" Bilbo was by a window that showcased the zoo planet far below, blessedly free of his neurotic trinomes. An Entitled must have a guard near at all times, or in Bilbo's case, a surrogate parent. All of his young cousin's guards treated him like a child. It would be endearing if Bilbo were not heir to such a commanding position. Splices should not have such influence over an Entitled.

“Bilbo, where are your trinomes?” Adalgrim's face scrunched up with suspicion as he sized up his cousin. Bilbo Baggins may be reluctant, soon to be, High Prince of House Took, but he was also an eccentric collector of the most destructive splices that Adalgrim had ever had the misfortune to meet. Durin's Folk, was what they insisted on calling themselves, had been continuously underfoot and in the way in every way for his crew the entire time here. Now, after taking stock of everyone before leaving, only Rev's squad is to be found.

"I ordered them to stay in my cabin after what happened, to keep them out of the way." Bilbo shrugged as casually as if he had brought domesticated servants and not armored berserkers who left talon grooves in the salon’s marble flooring. It was apparent that Bilbo had not wanted to come at all. He did not care about politics, nor space beyond Took territory. Not yet, anyway, when he had so much to do at home. Adalgrim was the one that his business partner from House Blasington, Lord Clen, had invited to a zoo world gala. Bilbo did not appreciate being used as a pleasing bauble, not at all.

"Bilbo, what is going on? I had to…" Adalgrim was getting an answer.

"My guards didn't want to leave home so close to the lunar storm season. They constantly fretted about the close quarters, and your crew's impatience. They simply sought out areas to be able to stand without knocking each other out. I don't care if you gave us a ‘roomy cabin’; I told you that they would need the Silver Suite." Bilbo was rather angry that Adalgrim had insisted on Bilbo bringing his Royal Guard to impress Lord Clen, just to give the other lord the needed suite.

It did not help that Thorin was still angry at having bashed his head on the ceiling their first day in their cabin. In a foul temper, he had decided that Clen's entire retinue consisted of lying bastards. This opinion was also somehow the direct result of some unfortunate encounter in the dining hall that involved Dwalin, a screaming cook, and a frying pan. Bilbo had not been able to meet the man until they were introduced at Adalgrim's tent. It was then that it, unfortunately, became apparent that Clen had already made Dwalin's acquaintance on the yacht.

"Bilbo, you have become entirely too dependent on your alcazar's staff." Adalgrim pulled Bilbo’s thoughts back to the present. He would never ask what had happened to involve a frying pan. Nope. Convincing Dwalin that he could not have another chance at ‘damaging the bastard just a little’ had been enough excitement for the next decade, or three.

Bilbo could feel his cousin thinking the term ‘creatures’. It was a common reaction after people got on any trinome’s bad side. "You are the lord of your holdings, not Thorin. I know that he thinks of you as an underage lycant cub. Change this situation before he subverts your authority in the name of being a watchful parent."

"Please dump off Lord Clen after you take me to my home." Bilbo chose to ignore Adalgrim’s whining; it was pathetic to behold in a grown Took anyway. Bilbo was irritated at being interrogated by the Aegis. Really, Bilbo had no hand in some House’s skiff getting blown up. He hadn't even been there to see it, having been dragged off by Gloin to a souvenir stand to get a toy for his son Gimli.

"Bilbo, Lord Clen is the majority owner of my most important business venture to date." Adalgrim was surprisingly quite upset. So, he did make risky business ventures with money from other Houses. Most of Bilbo's extended family had wondered where Adalgrim got so much extra credit so fast at times. Besides Adalgrim's horror at even being considered for a significant title, Bilbo could see why his grandfather, the Old Took, had passed on choosing his cousin to be High Prince.

Then again, he could not see why the old bastard had instead chosen to ruin his own life by making Bilbo the sacrifice. Bilbo Baggins did not harbor hostility towards his deceased forefather; he merely loathed him with a passion. If Gerontius Took ever had a Recurrence, that person would rue the day that they crossed Bilbo Baggins' path. He would personally beat the everliving crap out of them.

"And I need to act like the lord of my domain instead of like a lycant cub. I'm needed at home; the lunar storms are approaching. The Aegis cruiser orbiting Janus has no room to board my retinue. Do you want Thorin in your face for the next week or so?" Bilbo turned to his cousin and smiled warmly. Nothing had gone right for Adalgrim on this trip, and seeing him come to near ruin would undoubtedly make up for the headaches, literal and otherwise, that Bilbo had dealt with all week long. If Gloin complained one more time about the height of the doorway to his room, Bilbo was going to pluck a few dozen feathers from sensitive places. Just watch him!

"Addy. If this falls through, I will cover your loss without a word to the family. You know that my methane contract is solid for the next 100 years at least." Bilbo's tone turned sweet and patronizing, just as condescending as Addy had been when speaking of how Bilbo ruled his people. Adding Thorin to the threat was a touch of sheer genius, he thought as his cousin blanched for some odd reason.

"Bilbo, your co-op with the Aegis is the main source of money for your still half-built alcazar," Adalgrim spoke a bit too hasty to sound genuine, and not terrified of a single splice. Though, Adalgrim was a lord in his own right and knew the burden of being responsible for his subjects. "I will recover just fine if Lord Clen pulls his resources."

"What is the use of inheriting a quadruple inheritance death sentence if I can't borrow against it to spend a bit on a business venture or two? The offer still stands. Now take me home!" The desperation in Bilbo's voice rose to the level of a yell, though Tooks never yelled. They simply held their tempers until they were screaming in outrage.

Bilbo’s longing for his silly splice colony was so endearing that Adalgrim didn't have the heart to negotiate for better terms than Lord Clen's deal. It would be a pity to help kill his so young cousin's innocence quite so soon. That innocent face with its novel splice ideas in an Entitled heir unbalanced other Entitled, making it a resource worth protecting. Also, if Bilbo kept yelling, a certain Durin, who definitely did not like Adalgrim, would appear, all too happy to destroy something. Thorin was not the forgiving sort, at all. That is, unless you were Bilbo, but then, everyone loved Bilbo. That was why Adalgrim had brought him along in the first place.

"All right, all right. I'll draw up a secondary contract next week. Let's get your trinomes home before they follow through with their threat to eat my chef. We didn't have time to restock the kitchens." Being a vegetarian, Adalgrim didn't carry nearly enough meat in the galley of his yacht to keep three trinome stomachs sated one way, much less round trip. Without the worry of Lord Clen taking his money elsewhere, he could ignore the ‘lying bastard's' outrage, and get rid of the walking war zones pronto. Maybe if he got Bilbo home without incident, then Adalgrim could work the cost of floor repairs, broken furniture, and replacement plumbing into a deal.

^^^^

"Thorin, I flat out bribed Adalgrim to get us home right away. He values his haughty chef more than I thought." Bilbo entered his cabin prepared for three grumpy trinomes and a trashed set of rooms. He had not known that it would take four hours to receive permission to leave orbit when giving his order. In hindsight, he should have been able to guess with common sense, if not his foresight. Bilbo had been preoccupied with worry that the Aegis would find something, or cause trouble for his Durins when one skewered an officer for asking an offensive question.

Come to think of it, having only Gloin attend him when he was able to sneak back onto the ship early was odd, but Bilbo had just been relieved that his wishes were not questioned at the time. Private security could be bribed to keep quiet when bitten by Dwalin; Aegis officials were another story, therefore the need to keep them far away from possible grievous injury. Why again had Adalgrim insisted on innocent-looking Bilbo bringing his lunatic Royal Guard? His cousin must want to deliberately go bankrupt.

"Is the Aegis gone?" Thorin came out of the main bedroom looking somewhat nervous. Thorin was never nervous. He even looked over Bilbo's shoulder to see if a floating camera had followed him in. Oh, crap! Thorin must have roasted the cook for lunch. Too bad, Bilbo was not giving Swan, his master baker, to Adalgrim as recompense. Bilbo had warned the stubborn fool not to try to serve a roast made up entirely of various fruit pegged together to look like a roasted animal.

"Yes. The Cornelius was the first ship to be released for some reason." Thoroughly used to Thorin's habit of being ‘cautious', read: paranoid enough to make a Baggins proud, Bilbo submitted to being picked up and scrutinized for hidden wiretaps or leads. One of Clen's too curious servants had tried to visit once, which ended with Gloin tearing off something with his teeth, crushing it, and spitting it back out into the servant's hand.

"Rev kept them away from you?" Seemingly satisfied that his young charge wasn't involved in some weird surveillance ploy, Thorin tapped their foreheads together in the formal Durin greeting. This formality ended with Bilbo's hair being tousled as Thorin handled his nephews when they pleased him, or he was tense, and they were unlucky enough to be near enough to be caught and have their heads used as a stress ball. Speaking of nervous, why was the cabin still in perfect condition? If Dwalin's recently retouched, to impress a particular lady doctor, blue mohawk had been twisted into knots again by Thorin's fingers, the bedroom would be found to be a war zone.

"I was off of the polo field with Gloin, and was able to avoid being interviewed there. You know that." Bilbo stepped away from the tousling hand that was still seeking his hair. His locks were Thorin’s favorite, as his curls knotted so readily. "Really, Thorin."

"On the ship?" Thorin moved on to leaning out of the doorway to regard the hallway beyond before locking it. Bilbo discreetly sniffed and tasted the air for the smell of burnt cook. His trinomes should be starving by now, demanding a decent dinner to make up for missing lunch, tea, and supper.

"I reported that I saw nothing. Rev 's squad was still on board when the skiff exploded. The Aegis investigators were not very interested in an underage cousin of a minor lord with a paltry guard of aging fox splices." Bilbo had fast learned to use his innocent look that Addy wished to cash in on. Using it for the survival tactic of underestimating someone was far more valuable than charming business associates. He had also learned to keep his mouth shut regarding his Royal Guard. People tended to needlessly panic when they heard the words feral and prone to battle lust in the same sentence. Durins were the most affectionate people that Bilbo had ever encountered. Being an ‘adorable’, ‘precious’ and ‘poor orphan’ lycant cub himself, did not hurt either.

"Fools. How much longer do we need the Aegis to guard us?" Thorin dearly wanted their "colony" to be self-sufficient. For the last time, it was a simple, defenseless alcazar, not a fully armored moon base, Thorin! At least, it wasn’t yet, properly armored that is. But still, it was for defense. Bilbo had no qualms about ordering the destruction of or personally blasting to pieces any unauthorized ship that dared to enter his airspace and endanger his sons’ home.

"When we don't need their big ships, big guns, big armies, Morphis station resources, or the money they give us from the methane processing plant." Bilbo droned on for the thousandth time in a bored monotone. He had given the Aegis an indefinite lease for the second planet in his alcazar's solar system in exchange for royalties on the fuel sales. Other amenities such as restricted airspace and a cruiser in orbit around Janus at their disposal didn't hurt either. Bilbo was forced to buy defense shielding, terrestrial guns, and defense satellites instead of his own fleet of ships. One could never be too careful in protecting one’s self and family from downright murderous cousins jealous over not getting a title that did not even have a name yet.

"Their intimidating presence does make such a thing forgivable, at times." Thorin's pride had him quickly dismissing their dependence in exchange for another, more pleasant, subject. "What time do we dock with the Mayweather?" That was the unluckiest Aegis cruiser ever commissioned, being stuck babysitting Janus, protecting Bilbo from regicide minded family and his rare splice breeding stock from pirate raids. Having to pretend to be a space station instead of patrolling endless galaxies in the quest for peace was just one of a thousand ways that Aegis Headquarters found to humiliate the proud, war-seasoned crew.

"Speaking of forgiving, did you steal a centaur, Thorin? They aren't sentient, I think, but I doubt that one would be a pet that can fit in the alcazar tunnels." Bilbo had not cared to find out after a "lovely" unicorn nearly sank its vampire fangs into his neck. Who knew that the original unicorn splicer was insane and had managed their long lives by making them adorable bloodsuckers? Bilbo had had to pay the stable manager for the cost of the tour guide's infirmary care and the replacement value of a unicorn, though its price had been offset by not having to buy quite as much meat for the trinomes during their stay this past week. He sniffed the air again for the scent of barbeque on the hoof.

"They are not housebroken." Thorin sneered. Just like a nervous horse, the creatures had spread a copious amount of manure on the polo field after noticing his Royal Guard. Centaurs might only be intelligent enough to swing a polo mallet in a simple game, but they had enough of it to understand that the trinomes that they smelled wanted to ‘taste test’ one of them. It had not helped that all three of his guard had spread their wings, looking all the world like they were ready to swoop down on the centaurs and carry one off. Looks might be deceiving: a centaur weighed more than all three of his cheeky guard combined, but their appetite for meat was a real concern for any herbivore.

"What is our arrival time?" Thorin was rather suspiciously flicking a wing in the direction of Bilbo's bedroom. Bilbo just caught Dwalin's head jerking back inside.

We are all children here, Bilbo thought as he watched Thorin's paternal behavior turn to childish nervousness. He had long ago accepted the fact and decided that he would ‘wing it’, literal pun intended, and merely enjoy surviving for as long as he could. This somewhat fatalistic approach had rather impressive results when you were an Entitled wealthy heir who insisted on only owning things that everyone else rejected as worthless. There was the unfortunate tendency of some Entitled to notice when spruced up things were rather lovely to possess. That was where the Aegis and the Mayweather’s big guns came into the picture. The Mayweather also came in handy when Bilbo arranged to steal back splices stolen from Janus before he had arrived. Entitled were such sore losers!

"In 6½ hours. Why? Who stole what from Lord Clem?" Bilbo was not looking forward to any upcoming conversation with the annoyance. He was frankly tired of walking around a yacht full of deliberately befuddled servants, crew, and lying bastards. Adalgrim, the kitchen staff, and thankfully, the flight crew, were the only ones clear-headed enough with which to have a decent conversation. How could three trinomes emotionally screw up over 50 people a day for days on end? Adalgrim either had some severe security issues, or Bilbo owed his cousin a yacht's worth of replacement surveillance cameras.

"Everyone has to use the bathing facilities, Bilbo. They come to you." Thorin glared while answering the unspoken emotional question. He was not just head of security, but also lead Royal Guard for a reason, after all.

"Right." Bilbo pasted on a false smile. Rev was head of security for this very reason. He would need to double Rev's pay when they got home.

"Can we portal straight through?" Thorin hated the entire Sindarin Alliance after one encounter with one pretentious lord named Thranduil. Thorin hated waiting in line. Bilbo's still intact cabin would be in pressing need of renovation before the day was out. Speaking of which…

"No. We need to check in with the Gray Havens Western Border Station to shortcut through the Blue Nebula Transportation Corridor. Staying in Commonwealth Space will make our subsequent portal dependent on the Devon System relay station, and add three hours to our journey." Why again had they gone to a remote outpost world literally on the far side of the Commonwealth's border far from their secluded outpost home on the near side? The Cornelius' choice of beacons to home in on for portal guidance, or highway robbery relay stations if you will, was limited. One could depend on one’s guidance computer's latest update for a portal destination, and end up crashing into another ship in a heavily traveled sector, or find a supernova as his eldest uncle had.

"I see." Thorin huffed as his pride again dismissed an uncomfortable subject. The Sindarin Alliance kept order in its space, and money in its coffers, by relegating outsider ships to several specific point to point portal relay stations that sent two vessels at a time.  Passing through their territory in a straight line was nearly impossible, and incredibly expensive if Bilbo was not with you.

"Now, what are you hiding, Thorin?" It was Bilbo's turn to glare. There would be no more arguments from the surely trinome. Thorin hated paying House Cotton, and its Devon Station by default, any permit money more than using a Sindarin Alliance shortcut for free.

"We rescued someone who is…slightly damaged." Thorin’s voice was shaky. Bilbo automatically began to gently pet the length of the short beard as Thorin lay his head on Bilbo's shoulder and started his signature whine that was more of a purr. What had distressed his friend so? Bilbo would deal most harshly with anyone who had needlessly frightened such a sensitive soul.

“We may have needed this ship's infirmary." Thorin's wings drooped, not a good look on someone dressed in armor, complete with sword, dagger, and foot greaves that could leave gouges in a steel floor. When Bilbo calmed Thorin enough to free himself, he entered his bedroom to see Dwalin and Gloin clumped together while trying to hide, apparently needing each other for emotional support. This sight suddenly reminded him of Adalgrim's warning.

"Too little too late."


End file.
